The Townships of the Quincy Area Public Library District News
January 2008 TQ Board approves new Bylaws and name change
At their January Board Meeting, the TQ Board of Trustees approved a revised set of Bylaws and voted to change the name of their library district. This new name, Townships of the Quincy Area Public Library District, reflects the Board's expanded service and commitment to the previously unserved areas of School District #172. The change went into effect at the start of their fiscal year on July 1, 2008.
October 2006 Tri-Quincy surveys tax rates
How do we measure up? According to a recent tax survey of Illinois Library districts, the Townships of the Quincy Area Public Library District has the 17th lowest tax rate in the Alliance Library System which has 140 Library Districts. In addition, the current tax rate was compared to 4 other Library Systems covering 268 Library Districts and the Townships of the Quincy Area Public Library District tax rate ranked in the lower 14%. The average tax rate for the 408 Library Districts surveyed is .2199. The proposed tax rate for this year is .1435 and the current rate is .147.
March 2006 Annexation Issue FailsResidents of Burton, Fall Creek and the unserved Melrose Township voted against the proposed annexation issue on the March ballot. Residents with temporary Library Cards will no longer receive Library service. Non-residents can purchase a Non-Resident Library card for $90.
November 2005 New Library Site AddedResidents of Burton, Fall Creek and the unserved Melrose Township can now access Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District materials and services at St. Anthony’s School on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and every other Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This free Library service will be available through March of 2006. In March, residents of these townships will have the opportunity to vote on whether they would like to be annexed into the Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District which contracts with the Quincy Public Library to provide Library service.
Brand new materials have been purchased for the new Library site including Bestseller Books, DVD’s, Books on CD and Magazines. These new materials are available exclusively through the Library sites in Pleasant Grove Methodist Church in Burton and St. Anthony’s School in Melrose Township.
October 2005 Library Demonstration Project Continues
The Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District will continue to provide temporary Library service to residents of Burton, Fall Creek and the unserved portion of Melrose Township until the March 2006 election. Residents of the listed townships can sign up for a free Library card and access all of the materials and services of the Quincy Public Library and the York Street Branch located in the Quincy Senior and Family Resource Center.
In addition, residents can access library materials and services at the Pleasant Grove Methodist Church on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and every other Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District was awarded a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant by Illinois State Library, a division of the Secretary of State’s Office, in October of 2004 to demonstrate library service to the residents of Burton, Fall Creek and the unserved portion of Melrose township. The issue of annexation into the Library District never made it onto the April 2005 ballot, and a new grant was awarded to allow the demonstration project to continue until the next election.
The Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District contracts with Quincy Public Library to provide Library service to residents of Melrose, Riverside and Ellington Townships living in School District #172 and residents of Gilmer Township living in Liberty School District. To learn more about Tri-Quincy Area Public Library visit www.quincylibrary.org/tri-quincy.asp
October 2005 Library Expands CollectionThe Tri-Quincy Area Public Library has been selected by Secretary of State Jesse White’s Office to receive a $12,000.00 grant for the purchase of library materials. Materials to be purchased will include regular print books, large print books, DVDs and books on CD.
Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, using monies provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the federal Library Services and Technology Act.
October 2005 Gilmer Residents Receive RefundReimbursement checks will be mailed Monday, October 3rd to residents of Gilmer Townships. These checks are for the amount Gilmer residents were taxed for Library Service in 2004. Residents with escrow accounts will not receive the check directly, it will be sent to their bank. Residents who did not pay their 2004 taxes will not receive a reimbursement check.
The Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District Board of Trustees apologizes for any inconvenience. If you have any questions regarding your refund, contact board president George O'Brien at 217-593-6816.
June 2005 Gilmer Residents to Receive RefundThe recent tax bill for residents of Gilmer Township included a tax for Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District (TQ) service received in 2004. It was the intention of the TQ Board of Directors that residents of Gilmer Township be taxed for Library Service received in 2005, which will be billed in 2006.
The Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District Board feels strongly that residents should not be taxed for the 2 months of Library Service they received. To rectify the situation, the Board has decided to refund the Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District portion of the tax bill to residents of Gilmer Township
The Board will issue a refund to the affected households by October 1st, 2005. The board asks for your patience and understanding as they work to resolve the situation.
January 2005 Service Center Open HouseThe Open house will take place at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church on Saturday February 5 from 10-2 p.m. and Fall Creek Township hall on Saturday February 12 from 10-2 p.m.
Visit these “Mini-Libraries” during the Open House and enjoy free popcorn and refreshments and a chance to win a DVD player! Kids are invited to join us for a puppet show at 10:30 and 1:30 p.m. to discover how a lonely dragon learns to make friends with the help of an Elephant on Valentine’s Day. A Balloon Magic show will take place at 12:00 p.m. with J. Sternickle a.k.a. Bob T. Clown. Those who stick around will have a chance to get their very own balloon creation!
In addition to the Open Houses, there will be a two-part series taking place in February titled “The Past, Present and Future of Farm Equipment”. The series will take place on February 8th and 15th at 7:00 p.m. at the Pleasant Grove Methodist Church. Don McKinley, a longtime Quincy educator and member of the Quincy Museum Board, will explore the evolution of corn production from the 1930’s to present day. Don will share the vast changes in corn productions he has seen in his lifetime. Marvin Huber, former service Manager for John Deere will give us a glimpse into future of farm equipment. To make reservations for this presentation, please call 223-1309 ext. 207.
December 2004 Library Opens two new Service CentersVisit a library center at:
Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church
February 5 & 19 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
February 1, 8, 15 & 22 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Fall Creek Township Hall
February 12 & 26 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
February 7, 14, & 28 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
At the November 2 election, the voters in Gilmer, Ellington, Melrose, and Riverside Townships overwhelmingly voted to annex Gilmer Township into the Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District. On November 3, residents of Gilmer Township were able to register for a Tri-Quincy Library card without having to pay the $85 non-resident fee. Welcome Gilmer Township residents!
October 2004 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant Awarded to Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District.Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced that the Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District has been awarded an LSTA Grant in the amount of $42,679. This grant will allow TQAPLD, along with Quincy Public Library, to demonstrate to the townships of Burton and Fall Creek and the unserved portion of Melrose Township the value of library service. During the grant period, small library centers will be established in Burton and Fall Creek townships to provide free library service to the citizens of those townships. Patrons will be able to register for library cards and borrow materials at these sites. Children and young adults will be invited to attend programs at the library centers. All residents of Burton and Fall Creek Townships and the residents of Melrose Township living in Payson School District will receive free access to the Quincy Public Library.
This free library service will culminate in a referendum on the April 2005 ballot. At that time, the voters of each township, as well as the residents of Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District, will be asked to vote on the annexation issue. Each township will be filed separately so that if the referendum fails in one township, it will not jeopardize the other referendums. Should any of the referendums succeed, library service will remain in the successful townships. Should any or all of the referendums fail, library cards issued in the unsuccessful townships will expire on April 6, 2005.
July 2004 Audio/Visual Department and Public Relations Office Complete!
Thanks to a generous donation from the Tri-Quincy Area Public Library District, the Audio/Visual Department and the Public Relations office are now in more spacious, attractive, and functional offices. The Audio/Visual Department, formerly housed adjacent to the circulation desk, now occupies the former Conference Room. The room was painted, new lighting was added, and carpeting laid. The result was a bigger, more efficient workspace for the rapidly expanding Audio/Visual Department. The space vacated by Audio/Visual was quickly refurbished to make room for the Public Relations Office. Also painted and with new carpeting, this area provides the Public Relations Coordinator with a more functional space closer to the public.
The Tri-Quincy Board is currently working towards adding the Gilmer Township into the service area that the Quincy Public Library serves. This will enable residents in Lakeshore Hills and Hook n’ Quarter, both of Fowler, IL, to access the Quincy Public Library’s services for free. Currently residents of these neighborhoods would have to pay an out-of-district fee of $85 a year to use the Quincy Library and they do not qualify for any additional public library services.
Members of the Quincy Public Library district and the area proposed to be annexed will have a chance to vote on the annexation in the election in November of 2004. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question in the district and also a majority of votes cast upon the question in the territory to be annexed are in favor of the proposition, the entire territory is annexed.
December 2003 Circulation Workroom Complete!Thanks to the support of the Tri-Quincy Board the Quincy Public Library has a new and improved Circulation workroom. The improvements made include new furniture, new carpeting, additional storage and shelving space, and a new paint job.
December 2002 Addition of Wal-mart Book DropIn an effort to better serve patrons on the east end of Quincy, the Tri-Quincy Board voted to install a book drop at the Wal-mart Superstore. Library patrons may deposit books, music CD's, videos, and DVDs in this bookdrop. The library also has bookdrops available at the Quincy Mall, just outside of the east entrance to Sears, and outside the Quincy Public Library on Jersey Street. All library materials may be placed in the bookdrop except those materials specifically marked, "Please do not return in the bookdrop."
Audio/Visual MaterialsIn June of 2001, the Tri-Quincy Board determined a need in the community for a circulating DVD collection. Having established that need, the Board voted to donate $7,500 to purchase adult and children's DVDs. Since that time, the Tri-Quincy Board has donated nearly $30,000 to maintain and enhance the Quincy Public Library's Audio/Visual collection of DVDs, videos, music compact discs, books on tape, and books on compact disc. The Tri-Quincy Board has made the funding of this collection part of their annual budget and continues to support the patrons through their efforts.
Additional DonationsAlso in June of 2001, the Tri-Quincy Board voted to support several ongoing projects at the Quincy Public Library. These projects included the move of the Technical Services and Outreach Departments to the Quincy Senior Citizens and Family Resource Center at 639 York, the purchase of a microfilm/microfiche reader, and the conversion of the Library's computer collection to Resource Sharing Alliance.
